Embracing the Power of Relationships

Building and leveraging human networks to solve problems. Many groups advance changes by building trust and strengthening personal relationships in a community, and by harnessing forces like peer pressure or social norms to positive effect.

Stories

RECENT STORIES

The Viral Hashtag That's Getting People to Clean Up Garbage

Viral social media trends can be harnessed for social and environmental good. A social media#trashtag challenge that spread from Reddit to Instagram draws upon the satisfying nature of a before-and-after meme. People all over the world who participated in #trashtag challenge went out and beautifi...

Be a sport: games coaches teach boys how to be better men

Coaches and players around the world are using sports to teach boys about masculinity and the importance of integrity, both on and off the field. From cricket in India to rugby in Fiji, games are used as a foundation for teaching important life lessons and values. As a result, young men participa...

Baylor officials open up about extensive Title IX reform

In the aftermath of multiple sexual assault incidents, Baylor University has moved toward turning what was once a culture of avoidance into a culture of accountability. The university has increased the staff, funding, and resources devoted to its Title IX office, including a new website for stude...

Oregon's unique Title IX reporting policy gives autonomy to students

Confidential points of contact allow victims to reach out about Title IX violations and sexual assault on their own terms. Following multiple incidents involving members of its basketball team, the University of Oregon has reconfigured the way its Title IX programs function. New policies that all...

Utah routinely implements Title IX changes to ensure student safety

Amid the nationwide discussion surrounding gender non-discrimination and sexual misconduct at American universities, the University of Utah has taken a proactive approach to realign its Title IX policies. In addition to reviewing the policies of its Office of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action...

Why Every Black Woman Deserves a Doula

Birth and pregnancy coaches lessen the disproportionately high risk of death from complications in maternal care suffered by black women in the United States. Women in states that provide consultation with a doula, a trained professional who acts as both health aide and advocate for the patient, ...

‘We believe that they can come home and be a positive force for change:' How one program helps people transition out of incarceration

In Wisconsin, the Alma Brothers Smart Reentry program works to reduce the rate of recidivism by building relationships with those being released from jail and reentering society. By providing each man in the program with a guide during the last year of his sentence and first year out of prison, t...

Female Artists Challenge Vietnam's Gender Stereotypes

Art empowers women by providing a basis for new public discourse. In Vietnam, a group of artists use their exhibitions to introduce discussions on topics such as breastfeeding, menstruation, and sexual rights. In the strictly conservative country, avoiding censorship involves holding alternate ex...

How New Orleans police went from ‘most corrupt' to model force

The New Orleans Police Department did not have the best reputation among the community due to a series of corrupt acts committed by individual officers on the force. Thanks to a series of outreach efforts to marginalized communities as well as oversight by a federal monitor, NOPD has been able to...

Fighting climate gentrification with a radical community garden

To cope with and combat gentrification, residents of Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood created a community garden called the Femme Fairy Garden, founded by Fempower. Community members come together every Sunday to tend to their plants and connect with their neighbors.

The Viral Hashtag That's Getting People to Clean Up Garbage

Viral social media trends can be harnessed for social and environmental good. A social media#trashtag challenge that spread from Reddit to Instagram draws upon the satisfying nature of a before-and-after meme. People all over the world who participated in #trashtag challenge went out and beautified green spaces. They then posted photos of themselves surrounded by the trash bags they had collected.

Be a sport: games coaches teach boys how to be better men

Coaches and players around the world are using sports to teach boys about masculinity and the importance of integrity, both on and off the field. From cricket in India to rugby in Fiji, games are used as a foundation for teaching important life lessons and values. As a result, young men participating in these programs have been found less likely to show aggression and more likely to believe abuse against women is wrong.

In the aftermath of multiple sexual assault incidents, Baylor University has moved toward turning what was once a culture of avoidance into a culture of accountability. The university has increased the staff, funding, and resources devoted to its Title IX office, including a new website for students to report incidents. Furthermore, the university promotes ongoing education and awareness among both its students and athletes with programs that promote healthy relationships.

Confidential points of contact allow victims to reach out about Title IX violations and sexual assault on their own terms. Following multiple incidents involving members of its basketball team, the University of Oregon has reconfigured the way its Title IX programs function. New policies that allow victims to control when an incident is reported. The broader Title IX program strives to define expectations and set norms surrounding sexuality and consent through educational programs, digital resources, a hotline, and designated confidential points of contacts.

Amid the nationwide discussion surrounding gender non-discrimination and sexual misconduct at American universities, the University of Utah has taken a proactive approach to realign its Title IX policies. In addition to reviewing the policies of its Office of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Title IX and Center for Student Wellness, the university has increased resources and centralized information about sexual misconduct reporting.

Why Every Black Woman Deserves a Doula

Birth and pregnancy coaches lessen the disproportionately high risk of death from complications in maternal care suffered by black women in the United States. Women in states that provide consultation with a doula, a trained professional who acts as both health aide and advocate for the patient, under Medicare coverage have seen positive effects. Following the precedent of a program in Minnesota that reimburses doulas through Medicaid, New York has rolled out pilot doula programs in select counties.

‘We believe that they can come home and be a positive force for change:' How one program helps people transition out of incarceration

In Wisconsin, the Alma Brothers Smart Reentry program works to reduce the rate of recidivism by building relationships with those being released from jail and reentering society. By providing each man in the program with a guide during the last year of his sentence and first year out of prison, the program is able to offer support, resources and opportunities that the former inmates may not otherwise have.

Female Artists Challenge Vietnam's Gender Stereotypes

Art empowers women by providing a basis for new public discourse. In Vietnam, a group of artists use their exhibitions to introduce discussions on topics such as breastfeeding, menstruation, and sexual rights. In the strictly conservative country, avoiding censorship involves holding alternate exhibitions, outside of state-funded institutions such as museums and galleries. By participating in international collaborations, privately funded events, and exhibitions in cafes, artists have been addressing questions of social taboos and fostering discourse surrounding gender norms.

The New Orleans Police Department did not have the best reputation among the community due to a series of corrupt acts committed by individual officers on the force. Thanks to a series of outreach efforts to marginalized communities as well as oversight by a federal monitor, NOPD has been able to turn perceptions around over the last five years, garnering the department national attention in how to transition to humanistic policing.

Fighting climate gentrification with a radical community garden

To cope with and combat gentrification, residents of Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood created a community garden called the Femme Fairy Garden, founded by Fempower. Community members come together every Sunday to tend to their plants and connect with their neighbors.

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